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Robbers tracked casino patron to his home by putting GPS on his car, police say Robbers hid GPS device on casino patron’s car to find his Md. home, police say
(about 5 hours later)
Last fall, two armed men, wearing ski masks, showed up at a home in Montgomery County, tied up two residents and demanded: “Where is the money?” The two armed men wearing ski masks showed up at a home in Montgomery County, tied up two residents and demanded: “Where is the money?”
What may have seemed random at the time — authorities are now asserting — was nothing of the sort. The bandits had staked out a casino in Baltimore, identified a frequent gambler, slipped a GPS tracker on his car, learned where he lived, and made their move. What may have seemed a random crime last fall — authorities now assert — was nothing of the sort.
“Came in — guns, zip-ties, duct tape — the whole deal,” Montgomery County prosecutor Curtis Zeager said during a recent court hearing. “Grabbed up $6,000 in cash.” The bandits had staked out a casino in Baltimore, identified a frequent gambler, attached a GPS tracker to his car, learned where he lived in Montgomery and made their move.
Zeager was speaking at the bond hearing for a suspect whose arrest police announced Monday: Kevin Darnell Carroll, 44, of Baltimore. “Came in — guns, zip ties, duct tape — the whole deal,” Montgomery County prosecutor Curtis Zeager said during a recent court hearing after a suspect’s arrest. “Grabbed up $6,000 in cash.”
“He took a good amount of time to reconnoiter,” Zeager said in court. But the robbers were not the only ones to have put a GPS device on the gambler’s car.
He said that Carroll and a partner — after hanging out at the Horseshoe Casino — knew what they’d find. The bond hearing March 2, as well as arrest records filed in court, spell out a bizarre sequence of events leading up to the robbery that authorities say was committed by Kevin Darnell Carroll, 44, of Baltimore, and an accomplice who remains at large.
“They see: ‘OK, this guy is at the Horseshoe Casino a lot, and probably has a lot of cash around.’ And they’re right. He comes down here via the information from the tracker,” to commit the robbery, Zeager said. Among the details, the wife who lived at the Montgomery home — in the Darnestown-Germantown area — had hired a private investigator to keep tabs on her husband.
Carroll’s attorney during the bond hearing, Staci Pipkin, said Carroll “steadfastly denies” any involvement in the case. Whoever may have put a tracker on the car, it wasn’t he, she said. On Nov. 11, the private investigator tailed the husband to the casino where he had been going about six days a week and “was gambling with large sums,” according to the arrest warrant in the robbery.
Carroll has not had a conviction in 13 years, Pipkin said, and has been employed selling cars for more than five years and helps his disabled mother. After the husband went inside, the private investigator put his own GPS tracking device on the husband’s car. While the private investigator was still near the car, he saw another man crawling under it with a flashlight. Eventually, two GPS devices were on the husband’s car — the robbers’ and the investigator’s, according to the police.
“He would like to get back to work and taking care of his mother,” said Pipkin, who said that her partner, Jack Rubin, would handle the bulk of the case. The robbery occurred six days later.
A Montgomery County judge assigned Carroll a $125,000 bond, which he posted for his release. A second suspect remains at large. Two occupants of the targeted home — a 21-year-old man and 14-year-old girl — went out to get something to eat, returned and fell victim to two men who slipped into the garage behind them.
The bond hearing last week, as well as arrest records filed in court, spell out a bizarre sequence of events before the robbery. The robbers pointed guns at the two young people, ordered them to the ground, zip-tied them and put duct tape over the girl’s mouth.
Among other details, the wife who lived at the Montgomery home — in the Darnestown-Germantown area — had hired a private investigator to keep tabs on her husband. One robber then took the 21-year-old into the house, demanding money. The victim took the gunman to “various locations in the house where money was kept,” according to the arrest records.
On Nov. 11, the private investigator tailed the husband to the casino. After the man parked and went inside, the private investigator put his own GPS tracking device on the man’s car. While the private investigator was still near the car, he saw another man crawling under the car with a flashlight. Eventually two GPS devices were on the husband’s car — the robbers’ and the investigator’s, according to the police.
The robbery occurred six days later. Two occupants of the home — a 21-year-old male and 14-year-old female — had gone to get something to eat, come back in, and fell victim to two men who slipped into the garage behind them. They zip-tied the two victims, and placed duct-tape over the girl’s mouth. No serious injuries were reported by police.
[Has the bet on casino gambling in Baltimore been a bust?][Has the bet on casino gambling in Baltimore been a bust?]
The victims freed themselves and called 911, police said. At the scene, the victims’ mother asked one of the detectives “if she could speak to him,” and told the detective she had hired a private investigator to follow her husband — and told them about the GPS tracker the investigator had put in place. After the robbery, the victims freed themselves and called 911, police said.
Detectives later spoke to the private investigator, according to a police spokesman. At the scene, the victims’ mother pulled a detective aside and said she had hired a private investigator to follow her husband, and she told them about the investigator’s tracker.
The investigator told detectives about following the husband on Nov. 11 to the casino, where the husband had been going about six days a week and “was gambling with large sums of money,” according to the arrest warrant. Detectives later spoke to the investigator, who said that while the husband was in the casino, the investigator saw two men acting stealthily near the husband’s car, court files show.
The private investigator said that while the husband was inside, he saw two men acting stealthily near the husband’s car. On Monday, Montgomery police announced the arrest of Carroll in the case.
In court however, Pipkin said her client drives a different vehicle than any cars spotted in the garage by the private investigator. At the bond hearing, Zeager, the prosecutor, said Carroll “took a good amount of time to reconnoiter.” He said that Carroll and a partner — after hanging out at the Horseshoe Casino — knew what they would find at the gambler’s home.
“They see: ‘Okay, this guy is at the Horseshoe Casino a lot, and probably has a lot of cash around.’ And they’re right. He comes down here via the information from the tracker,” to commit the robbery, Zeager said.
Carroll’s attorney at the hearing, Staci Pipkin, said Carroll “steadfastly denies” any involvement.
Carroll has not had a conviction in 13 years, Pipkin said, and has been employed selling cars for more than five years and helps his disabled mother.
“He would like to get back to work and taking care of his mother,” Pipkin said.
A Montgomery County judge assigned Carroll a $125,000 bond, which he posted for his release. The second suspect remains at large.
In court, Pipkin said her client drives a different vehicle from any cars spotted in the garage by the private investigator.
“The private investigator went there and he sees someone else,” Pipkin said. “Someone else places a tracker on [the homeowner’s] vehicle. And the private investigator then places his own tracker on the vehicle.”“The private investigator went there and he sees someone else,” Pipkin said. “Someone else places a tracker on [the homeowner’s] vehicle. And the private investigator then places his own tracker on the vehicle.”
Six days later — 50 miles away in Montgomery County — two assailants entered the garage of the casino patron, pointed guns at the 21-year-old and 14-year-old, ordered them to the ground and tied them up. One suspect then took the 21-year-old into the home, asking where money was located. The victim took the gunman to “various locations in the house where money was kept,” according to the arrest records. Six days later and 50 miles away in Montgomery County, two assailants entered the garage of the casino patron.
Crime scene investigators tested for DNA on zip-ties, duct tape and the GPS tracker from the robbery site. They were able to match DNA from the duct tape to Carroll, according to the arrest records. Crime scene investigators tested for DNA on zip ties, duct tape and the GPS tracker from the robbery site. They matched DNA from the duct tape to Carroll, according to the arrest records.
Police arrested Carroll last week. They say they found a ski mask and a gun at his home believed to have been used in the robbery. Carroll was charged with home invasion, armed robbery, assault and other counts, according to police. Police arrested Carroll last week and said they found in his home a ski mask and a gun they think were used in the robbery.
Police provided only a minor, vague description of his suspected accomplice. Carroll was charged with home invasion, armed robbery, assault and other counts, according to police. Police provided only a minor, vague description of an alleged accomplice.
In a written statement, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore said providing “a safe and enjoyable environment” for patrons and employees “is our top priority.” In a written statement, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore said that providing “a safe and enjoyable environment” for patrons and employees “is our top priority.” The statement said that “on the rare occasion when someone violates a security policy, we work closely with law enforcement to ensure that [the] individual is not only removed from the property and issued a lifetime ban but also prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
The statement said “on the rare occasion when someone violates a security policy, we work closely with law enforcement to ensure that individual is not only removed from the property and issued a lifetime ban but also prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”